Praised
are you, O God, our loving creator and giver of all good
gifts. Bless our parish, strengthen our faith and grant us
the spirit of Christian stewardship so that we may give
generously of our time in worship and prayer, our talent,
and our treasure to the spread of Your kingdom here in our
Church and throughout the world. This we ask through Jesus
Christ, Your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
What you have received from the Lord, give
as gift. (Matthew 10:8)
We promote active involvement in parish ministries and the wider
community. We organize or sponsor events such as our Parish
Multi-Cultural Food Sampling, Ministries Fair, and Annual Renewal
Campaign. We support all parish ministries and help create personal
connections between the Parish and its members. Our goal is to help
our community connect their faith with their daily lives and to see
St. Ignatius Parish as a community of people, not just a place to
attend mass.
The U. S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter entitled “Stewardship--A
Disciple’s Response” calls us to become Christian stewards. It
challenges each of us to embrace stewardship as a way to become a
disciple of Jesus--to follow Jesus and imitate his way of life.
Stewardship is the work of the Spirit in our lives. When we accept
our lives as sheer gifts, the Spirit can use us as instruments for
spreading the Gospel. All that we are and all that we have are gifts
from God. In Thanksgiving for God’s blessings we give back joyfully
a portion of our time, talent, and treasure. A Christian Steward:
Receives God’s gifts gratefully
Cultivates them responsibly
Shares them lovingly in justice with others, and
Returns them with increase to the Lord!
Receive God’s gifts gratefully. We
each possess skills and talents--gifts from God. Sharing your skills
and talents through service develops and uses the gifts that God has
given you. Search out the talents that you possess, nurture them,
and help them grow. We each can have a role in the service of God
and in the work of the church. In the words of the late Mother
Theresa of Calcutta, “The call of Christianity is not always to do
monumental and extraordinary things, but to do the ordinary things
of everyday life well and with love.”
Cultivate your gifts responsibly.
Assess your life as it exits in the present moment. Look at your
status single or married, with or without children. Examine all the
people you come into contact with on a daily basis--family,
co-workers, community, and parish--and the varied ways that you
serve others. Jesus calls each of us to a life of service, not
because someone has a need to receive, but because we each have a
need to give.
Share your gifts lovingly and in justice
with others. Take action. Call the parish for ideas on
how you can serve others. As we share our gifts they multiply,
enriching our lives and the lives of the people around us. The
Stewardship of Service successfully bridges the material world
around us and the world of the Spirit within us.
Return them with increase to the Lord!
This ministries booklet has been prepared to help you determine how
you can use your gifts--the skills and talents that God has given
you--and return them with increase to the Lord. It contains general
information about the variety of lay ministry opportunities that
exist at St. Ignatius Parish, in the hope that it will help you take
up the call to become a Christian Steward and determine how you
might like to be involved in St. Ignatius Parish. What will you
return to the Lord?
“Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will
also reap sparingly, and whoever
sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already
determined,
without sadness or compassions, for God loves a cheerful giver…”
(2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
